Book 56 Chapter 9 - Nine Saber Strikes Agreement
Translator: Foxs' Wuxia
Yin Xianhe and Xu Ziling met inside an unlit hall. Without the wind, the snow outside diminished somewhat, turning into continuous snow powder.
Shaking his head, Yin Xianhe said, “No one’s here! The only explanation is that Ji Qian took the maids and servant of her entire mansion on a long journey; however, the wardrobe is as empty as anything, even if they went out, there’s no need to be like this.”
Xu Ziling said, “I think Ji Qian moved to another place. The calligraphy, paintings, and the like that were hanging on the wall are gone, but the furniture is intact.”
Yin Xianhe sat down on the side, he said with a wry smile, “How could there be such a coincidence? I’d better return to Shang Lin Yuan to inquire clearly.”
Xu Ziling sat down next to him, he shook his head and said, “That will only arouse people’s suspicion, even if you are willing to spend money, it would be useless. The people in Shang Lin Yuan would not dare to disclose Ji Qian’s new home. Let me think of a way.”
Different people flashed in his mind. First of all, he thought of Li Jing; he might not pay attention to Ji Qian’s whereabouts, but as long as he sent his men to investigate, how could there be no results? However, the current situation is delicate; he wanted to see Li Shimin through Li Jing, it was because he had no choice, but in other matters, it would not be proper to involve Li Jing, because liaising with outside enemy was a major crime of treason.
And then he thought about Chen Fu of Rong Da Da Ya [attaining glory big pawnshop, see Book 45, Chapter 8], he could ask him to send his people to check, but it would not be appropriate either.
Finally, he had a flash of inspiration, “I got it!” he said.
Watching this, Kou Zhong was at a loss. Since the battle began, all along Ning Daoqi took a leisurely, comfortable and natural stance, but suddenly his style changed drastically. His two hands opened up like a winnowing basket, the hands were shaped like a pecking bird, he assumed blocking position. Although elegant and pleasant to the eye, it was still lacking strength, not in conformance to his Lao Zhuang’s [Laozi and Zhuangzi, see last chapter] clear, pure inaction style, plus he seemed to be willingly inviting Song Que to make his move, which seemed to run counter to his style even more. Yet surprisingly, not only Song Que did not make any more aggressive attacks to control the whole situation, but instead he pulled back the saber pointed at Ning Daoqi from a distance, and then stood proudly with the saber across his chest.
A hint of smile brimming with confidence floated out of the corners of Song Que’s mouth, he said, “Dao Xiong, no need to be modest and yield to me!”
Ning Daoqi laughed aloud and said, “What a good Song Que!”
Suddenly rousing his clothes and narrowing his eyes, his hands turned into two frolicking little birds, fighting and chasing each other in front of him, you pounced I pecked, fighting to their heart’s delight, and pressing down toward Song Que.
The strange light in Song Que’s pair of eyes flaring greatly, he stared deeply at the Heavenly Saber across his chest, just like an old monk entering the meditative state, completely oblivious of Ning Daoqi’s beyond all expectation’s technique and fantastic assault style.
Kou Zhong, however, drew a mouthful of cold air, thinking that if it were him, this moment he would surely be at a loss to know what to do.
When Kou Zhong met Ning Daoqi for the first time that day, the other side pretended to be a fisherman, everything about him was authentic, his portrayal was spot on and amazing, so that Kou Zhong doubted whether he was a real fisherman or a fake, and thus his resolve was snatched away, and he fell into disadvantageous position. This moment, he began to know the technique to bring about what is true and what is false, which turned out to be one pounce of the eight pounces [Ba Pu].
Ning Daoqi’s face showed an innocent look like a child playing with a little bird, glancing to the left and right, he watched the bizarre scene where his two hands imitating the little birds, soaring up and leaping down, chasing each other and frolicking in the air. Yet Kou Zhong was able to see in his mind that there was an invisible tree, and the little birds were playing noisily among the branches of the tree, all the actions seemed unintentional, yet there was a not-one-thread-loose feeling, so that he was no longer able to distinguish what is true? What is fake? What is virtual? What is real?
In the blink of an eye, the two-zhang distance faded away.
Suddenly the two little birds had another playmate, which was Song Que’s unparalleled-under-the-heavens Heavenly Saber. Until the moment when the two little birds were about to arrive, Song Que moved away sideways, dragging the saber and sweeping swiftly, as if they were startled by the sudden arrival of the enemy, the two birds pecked at the saber blade, and thus opening up the curtain to the fierce battle.
The two human shadows chased each other randomly on the white stone plaza surrounded by the five hundred luohan as the spectators, flashing, shifting, soaring, darting, at the astonishing speed of rabbit rising and magpie diving down, but both sides’ manner was still so calm and magnanimous, which did not conform to the battlefield situation.
Every part of Song Que’s Heavenly Saber has become a tool to control and neutralize the enemy. The saber shaft, the saber blade, and the hilt, in any style that people had never even thought about, were used to cope with the virtual bird strikes launched by Ning Daoqi. The two little birds were alive, just like real birds, they were able to penetrate any gap and small crack, and launch as-dense-as-a-rain-shower, no-gap-not-entered, mercury-flowing-out-swiftly-to-the-ground - close-ranged attack toward Song Que.
Both sides launched strange moves one after another, they used speed to counter speed, without the slightest bit of delay in between, and in terms of both offense and defense, they followed their heart’s desire, as one side attacked and the other side defended; however, hidden within the terse, sharp and fierceness, there was also a free and unfettered, light and floating feeling. Exquisite and brilliant that it was hard to describe in any language, using any pen and ink.
Even with Kou Zhong’s eyesight, his eyes were blurry, he was dizzy, feeling that it was very hard to follow.
After ‘Ding! Ding’ two clear noises, the two men were back to standing-opposite-each-other-over-a-distance position, as if they had never fought at all.
Ning Daoqi put his hands behind his back, the two little birds seemed to have flapped their wings and flew far away, he smiled and said, “Even if Daoqi don’t want to admire, I simply can’t. Song Xiong unexpectedly can use one saber intention to block my more than a thousand bird pecks, so that even if I want to thicken the skin on my face to insist that Song Xiong exceeded the number of nine saber strikes, it’s not going to work.”
Song Que laughed aloud and said, “It ought to be Song Que who has broadened his horizon. From inaction [the Daoist doctrine of inaction, letting things take their own course] became doing something, from doing something returned to doing nothing, and then doing something yet inactive, inactive yet doing something, in Dao Xiong’s hands, Lao Zhuang‘s decree has reached the realm of great heights. Dao Xiong, watch out, Song Que’s fifth saber strike is coming!”
It was only this moment that Kou Zhong gradually started to breathe again, he could not bear the immensely enjoyable feeling in his heart. These two top martial art masters, none did not give it their all and displayed all their skills; such a good opportunity was really not necessarily once in a thousand years, it allowed him to surreptitiously learn from the two men at the same time, the benefits were so great that he has never even dreamed of.
‘Qiang!’
Unexpectedly Song Que returned the saber into its scabbard, both hands hung loose by his side, automatically generating enormous-without-equal grandeur, tightly covering the opponent. Even if he was not an insider, he also knew that when Song Que’s Heavenly Saber was out of its sheath, it would produce no-stronghold-one-cannot-overcome, explosive-none-on-earth-was-not-moved shocking assault.
Ning Daoqi still maintained his both hands behind his back - stance, the unusual light in his pair of eyes flashing, swift and fierce, which Kou Zhong had never seen since the battle started.
Song Que was not bragging, he really had the ability to force Ning Daoqi not to dare to repeat the old move, because until this moment, he had not repeated his own style.
The mountain rain was coming, the wind was all over the building.
Xu Ziling waited in the dark outside the main gate of Feng Ya Ge [see Book 31, starting in Chapter 11], Yin Xianhe, without rushing at all, walked out of the pavilion, came to Xu Ziling’s side, nodded and said, “Success! I told them I am delivering a letter for two friends in Xin’an County, immediately Qingqing Furen granted an audience, she told us to come in through the back door.”
Xu Ziling was grateful inwardly, Xin’an County was where he and Kou Zhong came across Qingqing and Xi’er, he never thought that the pleasure house woman who bites the hand that feeds her in the past would have such a Jianghu yi qi [spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice, code of brotherhood]. However, were it not that he had no strategy left to try, he would never want to disturb her.
Qingqing personally welcomed them into the inner hall, her pretty eyes lit up, she said, “Ziling’s appearance is really elegant, it’s so good to see you, you don’t know how worried Jiejie [older sister, referring to self] is about you. Some say that Xiao Zhong was killed in the battle at Cijian, and then later they say that he defended Luoyang to the death against Qin Wang’s main forces. It was only a couple of days ago that I began to learn that Song Que sent his troops to rescue him. The incident caused a sensation in Chang’an, making people’s heart anxious and difficult to calm. What exactly is the real situation?”
Xu Ziling was greatly embarrassed by her praise, he had no choice but to attribute this to her style in greeting a guest in her work as a good-time girl. Without taking any offense, he briefly explained Kou Zhong’s recent situation.
Deeply worried and sick at heart, Qingqing said, “Ay! We are about to enter the war again! Xi’er and I wholeheartedly escaped the chaos war and came to Chang’an, how could we know that unexpectedly Guanzhong is not a safe place? Are you going to protect us?”
Xu Ziling nodded and said, “Of course, but this time we came here, it’s really to ask for a favor.”
Qingqing blissfully said, “You have a problem and think of looking for nujia, clearly you still have me, this Jiejie in your heart. Tell me quickly, Jiejie will definitely exhaust my strength to do it for you.”
Xu Ziling turned toward Yin Xianhe and said, “It would be best to have Yin Xiong tell you himself.”
Yin Xianhe was slightly taken aback, he realized that Xu Ziling was taking this opportunity to force him to communicate more with others, without any choice, he explained the reason they were looking for Ji Qian.
Qingqing laughed tenderly and said, “Then you found the right person! This moment Ji Qian is in Feng Ya Ge.”
Hearing that, the two you looked at me, I gazed at you, they were at a loss.
Qingqing said, “The reason is very simple. A certain person that Qian’er loathes most bought Shang Lin Yuan for a large sum of money, Qian’er had no choice but to ask me for help to pay off her debt to Shang Lin Yuan, so she was transferred to Feng Ya Ge. Not that Jiejie is boasting, other than Jiejie, I am afraid not many people in Chang’an dare to stand up for Qian’er.”
Xu Ziling knew about her close relationship with Li Yuanji, he nodded in agreement and said, “Is that person happen to be Chi Shengchun?”
Stunned, Qingqing said, “How did you guess? Not many people know about this matter.”
Yin Xianhe said, “I wonder if I could ask Ji Guniang something?”
Qingqing replied, “This moment, both Qian’er and Xi’er are invited to the imperial court for a song and dance performance to entertain Huangshang’s [the emperor’s] guests. Before the second or third watch of the night, they can’t possibly come back. You have taken a long and difficult trek to Chang’an, you’d better take a good rest for a couple of sichen, I will wake you up when they come back.”
Yin Xianhe looked to Xu Ziling to ask for his opinion.
Xu Ziling said, “You take a rest a little bit, I have something to do, I will be back within one sichen.”
‘Clang!’
The Heavenly Saber was out of its sheath.
Everything could only be described by one word, ‘Fast’; it happened at such a high speed that it was difficult for the naked eye to see clearly. By the time Kou Zhong ‘sensed’ that Song Que was drawing the saber, the Heavenly Saber had already left its sheath, and turned into a long rainbow like a lightning, streaking across the two-zhang empty space, slashing toward Ning Daoqi.
Far away outside the carved fence, Kou Zhong felt that the air currents and the live qi all around him seemed to be sucked by Song Que’s startling-the-heaven-moving-the-earth saber that not the slightest bit remained, it was like all life force was exhausted, only the terrifying smell of death and killing was left.
To deal with such a saber strike, they only way was to stake everything and meet it head-on.
Song Que was precisely trying to force Ning Daoqi to meet force with force; even a brilliant master like Ning Daoqi would have no other choice.
Kou Zhong knew that this fifth saber strike was the beginning of the last four saber strike that followed, Ning Daoqi must not be allowed to have a chance to breathe, victory or defeat could be decided any moment.
What shocked him even more was that Song Que was making his move with all his strength, holding nothing back, to strike and defeat the opponent by all means.
Suddenly Ning Daoqi straightened his immortal bones, without any wind, the sleeves his robe moved on their own, his eyebrows spread out, his form became bold and powerful without equal, not inferior in any respect to Song Que, who was comparable to a deity. Sending out a punch, he continuously displayed mysterious changes, which were profound mystery, exquisite and amazing beyond any description, but the punch exploded on the sharp blade of the Heavenly Saber without the least bit of falsehood.
‘Boom!’
Qi power overflowed and rolled away.
Both men retreated as if struck by lightning.
Song Que spun around, the Heavenly Saber, looking ordinary without anything strange, swept across Ning Daoqi, who came back to meet him.
This sixth saber strike did not feel special, but it was so slow that it did not make sense. Yet as a viewer on the wall, he clearly understood that Song Que’s saber strike contained fast within the slow, highly skillful appearing to be clumsy. Although there did not seem to be any change, countless changes were completely hidden within it, like the infinite heaven and the earth, the boundless universe.
Song Que was unable to overpower Ning Daoqi in terms of speed and internal energy, hence the reason he changed to use saber technique to score a victory, his mastery in meeting a contingency was so brilliant that Kou Zhong could not help gasping in admiration.
But Ning Daoqi used constant-permutation movements, appearing to be advancing, appearing to be retreating, appearing to go up, appearing to go down, both hands carried out profound mystery, unfathomable techniques to meet Song Que’s completely-without-any-gap, like-a-heavenly-steed-soaring-across-the-skies saber strike.
Momentarily Kou Zhong forgot the terrible consequences that might happen, because watching it, his mind was already intoxicated, Ning Daoqi was using the mystical move to control the opponent from a distance, across an empty air. It did not seem to pose any threat to Song Que, in fact, essentially, it was powerless to affect or change Song Que’s overbearing once-released-there-was-no-coming-back saber momentum. However, every technique used the pure fire of the stove, out-of-the-spirit-transforming-man innate qigong, hitting the enemy’s blade across the distance one step ahead, weaving an invisible yet solid net of qi, like silkworm spinning silk, and this cocoon of true qi, precisely the instant it was going to meet the enemy’s blade head-on, condensed into its peak, ready to explode, and pressed down on Song Que’s must-kill saber strike.
The marvelous changes within, each side’s extraordinary scheme, going at it with everything they had, those with slightly less eyesight would not be able to see.
‘Bang!’
Like magic, Ning Daoqi’s palms clamped Song Que’s blade. He did not rely on the true power of his pair of palms, rather, the cocoon of qi gathered at the hollow of his palms and coalesced, which precisely counteracted Song Que’s saber qi, and thus such a shocking battle outcome was achieved.
Time seemed to stop, the two major martial art masters stood facing each other, as if just like the luohan all around them, they had turned into lifeless sculptures.
Just as Kou Zhong was watching that his breathing stopped and he couldn’t figure out how many times the two men’s inner qi clashed in secret, Song Que let out a long laughter, the Heavenly Saber shot out of Ning Daoqi’s pair of palms, until it pointed straight at the night sky above his head, and changed it so that he was holding the saber with both hands, and then slashed down like lightning.
Kou Zhong nearly wanted to close his eyes a little bit, he could not bear to see the terrifying scene of Ning Daoqi being split in half. Because it did not matter whether Ning Daoqi had the ability to penetrate the sky and build the earth brick by brick, under such circumstances, it was really difficult to block Song Que’s saber strike.
The moment the Heavenly Saber was about a chi away from hacking Ning Daoqi’s face, without the slightest bit of warning, the situation that Kou Zhong did not dare to imagine occurred. It was as if Ning Daoqi was turning into a feather, so that he was blown back and thrown off by the unbearable violent whirlwind brought by the Heavenly Saber, evading the edge of the blade by a hairsbreadth. It was so magical that people did not dare to believe it, yet it was a fact.
While he was still in the air, Ning Daoqi laughed calmly and said, “Softness defeats hard and rigid, many thanks Song Xiong for sending me off using saber qi. There are still two saber strikes.”
Although Song Que worked to no avail, he was not the slightest bit discouraged or became impatient. The moment the Heavenly Saber was parallel to the ground, he suddenly dashed at full speed, shooting straight like an arrow toward Ning Daoqi, about three zhang away in front of him. He spoke in bright and clear voice, “Dao Xiong has exhausted your skills!”
Kou Zhong could not help rushing toward the white carved stone fence. Actually, Ning Daoqi was indeed at a disadvantage, although his retreat was the most wonderful in the world, it had quite an impression of free-and-unfettered, wonderful, riding-on-the-clouds, driving-the-air flying dragon, but he still had no choice but to retreat. The key reason was not that he was not as good as Song Que, rather, he lacked Song Que’s determination to perish together with the enemy. Otherwise, just now, he could take advantage of the moment when Song Que raised his saber and slashed down, his pair of palms struck forward, even if Song Que could hack him into two halves, Song Que would definitely die.
Song Que was using his own life to gamble, because he could see that it was difficult for Ning Daoqi to open the monastic discipline against killing.
The saber blade shot out straight, rapidly narrowing the distance with Ning Daoqi. The saber qi completely locked the opponent, the moment Ning Daoqi touched the ground was the moment when Heavenly Saber reached his body. No one could change the development of this situation, including Song Que and Ning Daoqi, two grandmaster-level martial art masters.
Suddenly Ning Daoqi let out a long whistle, and suddenly froze in the air, and then fell swiftly down like a nail, boring down to the ground. Behind him was precisely the bronze statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva riding a lion. Facing Song Que’s saber strike that could make the wind and cloud change their countenance, Ning Daoqi’s manner was still elegant, he rapidly recited, “Due to the fear of shadows and evil deeds, men walk away, the more they lifted their feet, the more their footprints; the faster they walk, yet the shadow does not leave them. No one knows the hidden place where the shadow rests, the quiet place where the footprints cease, what an extreme ignorance!”
‘Bang!’
Ning Daoqi’s entire body sprang halfway into the air, then he stomped heavily on the blade with both feet.
Song Que flew backward, while Ning Daoqi was spinning like a top in the air, slowly descending back to the ground.
The two men returned to their original positions at the beginning of the fight, returned to the standing opposite to each other situation.
There was still one saber strike.
‘Qiang!’
Song Que returned the saber into its scabbard.
Ning Daoqi’s face turned pale, but it instantly returned to his normal color.
A red flash appeared on Song Que’s handsome-without-equal elegant and grand countenance, but was promptly restraint, his expression was just as before, as if he had never fought with the other side.
Kou Zhong was well aware that in Song Que’s last saber strike just now, both men were injured at the same time; however, their power was so deep that they were able to force the injury down.
What he wanted to do the most right now was to pounce into the arena and beg the two men not to fight, however, this would only affect Song Que, but it could not change the like-an-arrow-on-the-bowstring ninth saber strike.
Song Que sighed and said, “Song Que finally experience Dao Xiong’s Eight Pounces one by one. Not concealing anything from Dao Xiong, Dao Xiong’s brilliance indeed greatly beyond my expectation. Before launching the ninth saber strike, Ol’ Song wants to ask about something, just now Dao Xiong recited Zhuangzi’s fable, which came from the Father Fisherman’s story, why did you leave out the ‘since thinking that it’s too late, walking fast nonstop, thereupon the strength exhausted and die’, three sentences; what’s the deep meaning behind it?”
Ning Daoqi laughed involuntarily, he said, “I won’t conceal anything from Song Xiong either, if I added these three sentences, I’m afraid I won’t have time to recite the whole article, wouldn’t it be extremely ridiculous? There is practically no deep meaning behind it at all, Song Xiong misunderstood!”
Song Que laughed heartily and said, “Very well! If not for Dao Xiong able to accurately grasp Ol’ Song’s Heavenly Saber’s speed, plus your mind was so clear, pure and tranquil even in such a subtle state, you would have died under my eighth saber strike. If I, Song Que shamelessly insisted on the ninth saber strike, it would be like the ignorant who thinks it is too late, walks fast nonstop, his strength exhausted and die. How could Dao Xiong not have any deep meaning behind it? You are too modest!”
Ning Daoqi raised his cupped first and spoke sincerely, “The real modest person is Song Que, not Ning Daoqi. Song Xiong may have your strength exhausted and die, but Ning Daoqi will definitely accompany Song Xiong in burial. Thank you, Song Xiong for your kindness in starting off leniently.”
Song Que returned the greeting and said, “We all don’t need to speak words of politeness, to have Dao Xiong having a free hand in decisive battle, Ol’ Song no longer have any regret. Would you please tell Qinghui, from now on Ol’ Song will have Kou Zhong inherits everything, immediately I will hasten back to Lingnan, and no longer mind the affairs of the world.”
Hearing that, Kou Zhong was stunned on the spot, he failed to understand the reason why with Song Que’s conduct, he could give up at this point.
This moment, Song Que came to his side, smiled and said, “Let’s go!”